Pity or Love
by Watashi wa Ame desu
Summary: Naruto's parents found out he was gay and was ashamed of him. Sasuke was the one who lent a shoulder for Naruto to cry on. Things were looking up, but things also took a U-turn. "I'm sorry I mistook my pity for love."- Uchiha Sasuke. I DO NOT OWN NARUTO. REVIEWS ARE HIGHLY APPRECIATED.
1. Chapter 1

An average room painted in powder blue accommodated a single bed, which had a yellow-orange comforter over a thin white one and a red pillow, that was placed at the far right corner, perpendicular to an open window with pale yellow curtains drawn open. Below the window was a study table, which atop it were scattered and crumbled papers, pens, and notes that reached the foot of the desk and surrounding the blue swivel chair that faced opposite of bed. Next to the table; at the left was a trashbin, and an orange wardrobe that covered half of the left side wall and a yellow hamper. The floor was a shade or two lighter than the walls, and three rectangular red carpets; one by the door, the other at the foot of bed, and the last one at the foot of study table where some crumbled papers were.

There was a clicking noise coming from the door, which had the shade as the floor and the knob was of an old times classical doorknob. Not a moment later, the door was unlocked and it creaked briefly as it was being pushed in enough for someone to slip in and closed it again with a soft thud. The person who came in was a young man in his mid-teens with short, unruly blonde hair, a pair of round, cornflower eyes, and a healthy tanned skin tone. The teen wore light gray button up shirt, which sleeves were rolled up past the elbows, tucked in black trousers and under a black vest, which was left unbuttoned, though the black bow tie remained loose around the collar.

The teen had dropped his orange with red swirls backpack on the floor on his way to the bed, where dropped his person on, facing the ceiling. He let out an exhausted sigh and brought his left arm up to cover his face.

Silence dominated the entire room as cool breeze of the upcoming winter came in through the window that had the curtains sway in for a moment.

Lips quivered from either the breeze or something else though one could tell it was the latter. What, only the teen knew.

"Naruto? Son, is something wrong?" a muffled feminine voice reached the young man's room.

Sighing yet again, the blonde helped himself up and replied, "I'm fine, mom! Just a tad bit tired from school." before getting out of the bed and crouching to pick up the scattered papers on the floor. He then crumbled those in one ball, and shoot it in the trashbin like a three-pointer shooter would in a basketball.

Leaving the mess on the table, the blonde teen made his way to his wardrobe and quickly removed his apparel, tossing each in the hamper. And then, he pulled open the wardrobe, picked the first shirt and pants his hand found, and dressed into plain black shirt and orange sweats. Once comfortable at his choice of ckothing, he moved his feet, walking towards the door and out of the room.

"How's your school, son?" asked a man with the same distinct features as the teen, who had just came down the stairs, only the former was at least twenty five years older and had sharper eyes.

"Fine." Naruto shrugged. "Nothing new." he said silently as he watched his father removed his beige suit, hanged it on the hanger stand, and lossened his blue tie around his neck, before picking up his suiutcase that he had settled on the floor. "Are you not early, dad?" he asked.

"Well, thanks to your godfather our negotiation with the investor was ruined, so I have nothing else to do besides spending Friday's afternoon with you and your mother." the man smiled whilst approaching his son. "Now, let's see what your mom had prepared for tea time." he said as he draped an arm around his son's shoulders and brought him to the living room, where he left his suitcase on the couch and sat on it with his son.

Looking at Naruto, the man noticed something was not quite right with the teen, who was uncharacteristically quiet.

"Something's bothering you." the older man stated.

"No. It's nothing." replied Naruto, gazing at his hands on his lap.

"You didn't sound believable, Naruto."

Hesitantly, the teen said, "...I...I failed my prelim in math..." knowing the other one could catch a lie.

"Well..." the man leaned back as he crossed his arms behind his head. "It's fine. You still have midterms and finals to catch up. You can do it."

"...yeah."

Even though what Naruto had told his father was the truth, it was not that bothered him the most.

_I have this growing feeling in my chest that confuses me._

"Oh! You're early, Minato!" a female voice entered the living room.

The man, Minato, and Naruto turned to their left and saw a woman, wearing a light green sleeveless dress under a rose pink apron. She had long vibrant red hair that reached down her waist, fair skin, and round purple eyes. Apart from her appearance, she was carrying a tray of vanilla drop cookies.

Walking farther in, the woman listened to Minato retelling her of his reason of being early as she placed the tray atop the coffee table.

"That's a shame, hon." sympathized the woman, settling beside Minato to his left. Looking past the man, she asked her son to bring the tea in, which Naruto did obiently.

* * *

Monday arrived so soon, and Naruto found himself in his school uniform, looking neat. He was currently at the front of theater room where he watched the girls in lethards and leggings with white tutu practiced some routines through a small quadratic glass on the wooden door. For some unfathomable reason, he wanted to see the end of the dance.

"Hey, Naruto!" someone, a male, called out loudly, surprising Naruto.

Stepping back, Naruto turned to his left to see someone he knew jogged in his direction and stopped a feet before him.

"Kiba. You know running in hallway is forbidden, and why you don't have you vest and tie on?" Naruto reprimanded lightly.

"Nah, who cares with the school's policy? We're graduating and they could not fine us by deducting our grades or give us some penalty. It'd spell a trouble. You know they don't like seeing us again next school year. Besides, no one's around." the brunette shrugged; his cat-like eyes staring to the theater room through the glass Naruto had been looking through. "Waiting for your girlfriend."

"Idiot! I don't have one!" Naruto snapped.

Kiba asked after turning his attention to the blonde, "Why not? You should get one. Most of our peers already have their partners."

"Me being single doesn't mean I have to follow the flow, y'know?" annoyed, Naruto frowned at Kiba.

"Don't say that... You know what? Why don't you date Hinata?"

"The dark and weird girl?'

"Hey! Don't insult her!" yelled Kiba.

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No."

"Yes!"

"I said I'm not, Kiba. Stop being so immature!"

"Hah! Look who's talking! When did you mature?"

"...uhm... Well, I am mature than you!'

"No, you're an idiot, Naruto."

"Shut up! You idiot!"

"Don't call me that!"

Meanwhile, the ballet instructor, who was wearing the same as the class, heard yelling outside the theater room, ruining their prractice. And so, telling her class to stay put, she walked out and the yelling intensified. Not pleased at being disturbed, she exclaimed, "WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP!" at the top of her lungs only to receive, "YOU SHUT UP!" from the two quarelling boys before they resumed on insulting one another until they realized their mistake.

Naruto and Kiba fell in silence abruptly, and slowly turned their heads to meet the ballet instructor glaring daggers at their forehgeads as though willing the boys to drop dead.

"Office. Now." the ballet instructor snarled lowly.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Naruto had gotten out of the office after receiving a red card as a warning sign along with Kiba. Should either of them found disobeying the school's policy, they would not be able to march on graduation day. And so, in order to not bring shame on his parents, the blonde teen made up his mind to be more careful whenever Kiba was around.

Picking up and shouldering his bag as he stood, Naruto walked to the back of the classroom and exited through the second door with the flow of his fellow classmates as the class had ended not a minute ago. The hallway was packed with students and some teachers, rushing to get home, and Naruto found it difficult to move. _Tch. Just how many students are here in third floor?. _Naruto complained internally. Despite the slow motion, the blonde teen reached the male's room and entered it with a haste.

Naruto sighed in relief. _Thankfully it's empty here. I'll just wait five minutes before going out._ He thought, and while standing he caught himself in the mirror. Turning to fully face his reglection, he noted how oily his face was and when he touched his skin it felt slippery, which he found disgusting and made him look ugly. He stepped closer to the mirror and put his bag on the lavatory. The bag was then zipped open by the blonde, and fished out a small white bottle of powder. And then, reaching his right hand to his back pocket, Naruto pulled out an orange handkerchief, which he used to wipe his face with, before applying some powder.

"Now I'm looking fresh!" Naruto smiled at his reflection, before putting away the things he had used.

"So, you finally found out, Dickless."

Naruto whirled to his right where the voice originated, not expecting anyone to come in. "Sai!" he said. "What're you doing here?"

"What else? I'm here to relieve myself." Sai, who had pale skin, short and silky black hair, and a matching dark eyes, said as he went opposite of where Naruto was standing. "You finally came out. And since you did, I'm not going to call you Dickless anymore." he opened the fly of his trousers. "I'm going to call you Sunshine."

"Sunshine!? The hell are you talking 'bout?"

Sai looked over his left shoulder. "Oh, so you didn't?"

"Didn't what?" Naruto scowled.

Zipping up his pants, Sai faced Naruto. The dark haired one moved closer, enough that he can put his right hand on the blonde's left shoulder. Sai had a serious look on his face as he said, "That you're gay, Sunshine."

"WHAT!? I-I'm not gay, Sai! What the fuck!? How can you say that?" exclaimed the blonde, moving away from the other with wide eyes.

"You're not? Well, for starters you were applying powder."

"Applying powder doesn't mean I'm gay. I'm straight as a wooden footrule."

"Why don't you tell me what you were feeling then; whenever you saw those girls in catwalk last semester, whenever we guys hanging out and you saw those beautiful female shoes, and recently, at the theater room."

"Are you stalking me!?" asked a mortified Naruto.

"No. It just happened that I was there." Sai smiled. "Now, tell me honestly, Naruto. What do you feel?"

Naruto shifted his weight. Without looking at Sai as he was compelled to look on the tiled floor, he said, "I have this unexplainable growing feeling inside of me. I dunno what it is."

"Then, try wearing your mom's bra and undies." suggested Sai in which Naruto protested that he was not a pervert. "It's just an experiment to see what your sexual orientaion is. I was just trying to help you out here." and with that said, Sai left the male's room, leaving a frozen Naruto as the blonde contemplated on what Sai had told him.

"I'm not gay, am I?"

* * *

There was no mirror in Naruto's room that he could use to see his whole reflection except the small elongated one in his bathroom, thus he went to his parents' room and brought the whole body mirror from his parents' to his room without his parents' notice since they were still at work.

Standing in front of the mirror, Naruto looked at his reflection. He was still wearing his uniform.

Naruto was average in height, had a slim yet firm stature, and quite attractive. He did not see himself as gay even though he imagined himself in some kind of gown.

"I'm a proud male." Naruto pouted at his reflection. "Maybe I'm bisexual, but gay? No. There IS no way." he paused in his rants. "Should I try Sai's suggestion? But I'll use mom's dress, and not her lingerie."

With that in mind, Naruto walked out of his room, and returned not three minutes ago in his mother's beautiful lilac night gown. Closing the door and locking it, the blonde teen went to see his person in the mirror. There, he stood in silence for half a minute, before going out and coming back some seconds later with shoulder-length curly red hair.

Naruto had one of his mother's wig collection on him, hiding his blonde hair.

"Oh my God. I think I like seeing myself in this kind of clothes." Naruto whispered to the air as he stared wide eyed at the mirror.

Naruto surpassed his mother in terms of woman's beauty.


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto, in his school's uniform, stared out up the cloudy sky through the glass window of the classroom he was sitting in with his chin on his left palm. He was in a daze, thinking deeply. Unbeknownst to him, a certain man had been chancing a glance at him every now and then.

That man was Hatake Kakashi, an Arts and Crafts Instructor with gravity-defying white hair and a doctor's eyepatch covering his left eye, though a vertical scar can be seen that one would think his defected eye was slashed by a sharp object. Apart from the eyepatch, he also wore a surgical mask for some reason unknown to many.

Kakashi was a patient man, so he can tolerate Naruto not paying attention to his lessons. However, he will have to talk to the blonde teen.

Averting his gaze to the black, circular wall clock that was placed at the back of the class, the white haired instructor noted the time. There was only less than two minutes before lunch break.

Meanwhile, Sai did not pay heed Kakashi's lesson throughout the duration of the class as he put his mind into his sketch. Shading some more before placing his charcoal on his table, the pale teen smiled at his work.

Sai draw Naruto. He had taken advantage of the blonde's stillness.

The bell rung, startling Naruto back to reality. And then, a clattering noise filled the entire room as students packed their things and filed out little by little through the second door at the back. Naruto stood up as he shouldered his back, and was about to take a step when Kakashi called him. The teen then looked over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow in inquiry.

"Come'ere, Naruto." said Kakashi, and watched his student approached him.

Stopping in front of the instructor, Naruto asked, "Yes, sir Kakashi? Is something the matter?"

"No, but I would like to ask you the same question." the man, who sat on his chair, paused. "What's bothering you?"

Naruto blink, not anticipating the question. "Eh? Nothing's bothering me, sir."

"Is that so?" Kakashi breathed and leaned back. "Well, why were you preoccupied then?"

"...uhmm..." Naruto hesitated. _I couldn't tell him my real reason._ "Well..." he trailed off as he turned his eyes to the side whilst scratching the back of his head.

"Well...?" Kakashi prompted.

"...I...I've been thinking..."

"Of what, may I ask?"

"You see...I'm...kind of broke, y'know. So..."

"Ah. I understand. Though you have to pay attention next time. I'm letting you off with a warning for now. But, take note of this, Naruto..."

Naruto looked attentively at his instructor.

"Detention will be happy to have you. Understand, young gentleman?"

"Sir, yes sir!"

"Good. Dismiss."

"Thank you." Naruto bowed. And with that, he turned his back on the man and made his way out, ready to grab a bite. However, he was rudely stopped as Sai appeared before him after he made it five steps to his right. Scowling at the smiling Sai, Naruto asked, "What?"

"How did it go?"

"Well, I did what you said, and no. I am not gay, Sai. In fact, thanks to you that I learned I like fashion, be it male or female."

"I see. So, did the feeling in your chest vanish?"

"...uhm... Yeah. Somehow it did. But I didn't wear my mom's you-know-what." replied Naruto uncertainly.

"But, not completely I suppose. And, Naruto...I didn't mean gay as a crossdresser."

Naruto did not answer.

"Hmm...maybe we should wait for _him_." Sai mumbled to himself as he walked away to the opposite of where Naruto was heading.

"Wait!" called Naruto, grabbing Sai's arm, making the latter turn to the former. "What the heck are you sprouting? You're the one who is emotionally disconnected, so how can you say things such as _feelings_?" Naruto was getting frustrated. Thinking that he might be gay still upset him, because he did not feel like one.

Naruto liked girls.

"I may be emotionally disconnected, but I'm still human, Naruto. And, I'm not that oblivious as you are." Sai told Naruto, and gently pried his arm in Naruto's grasp before leaving an astounded blonde.

_Somehow...I think I saw the hurt in his eyes. _Naruto thought. _Impossible. I'm just imagining it. _He shook his head.

It was not long before Naruto had reached the school's cafeteria, which was as crowded as he had witnessed before, and had bought his lunch, a medium-sized bowl of miso ramen and a carton of milk. He saw Kiba waving at him in a table, and happily walked toward the brunnette.

"I reserved you a seat, dude." said Kiba as Naruto sat across from the former.

"Thanks, man! I owe you!" Naruto then turned to two empty seats; one beside of him and the other was beside of Kiba. Looking back at the brunnette, the blonde asked, "Where are they?'

Kiba shrugged and took a bite of his jumbo meat burger. Munching on it carefully, he said, "Dunno. She muf haf vem held back."

"Oh. I see. Well, let's eat without them then!"

"No fair!" someone exclaimed, and Naruto and Kiba turned to the source of it and saw two young men. The one who had yelled was fat and had short reddish-brown hair while the other was a lanky and lazy teen. "We haven't buy ours yet!"

"Alright, alright." Naruto placated. "We'll wait for you, Choji."

"You better. And Kiba! Stop eating that for now!" Choji pointed accusingly at the other teen who grumbled a 'fine'. "Come on, Shikamaru."

The lazy one sighed. "There's too many in line. It's troublesome. Why don't you buy mine? Here's the money." he dropped a bill on Choji's hands and sat beside Naruto.

Rolling his eyes, Choji left.

"You're such a lazy ass." Naruto commented with a chuckle.

"No wonder Ino is always having your head in a headlock." Kiba said and smirk.

Shikamaru, who had been staring off to the side, clicked his tongue and laid the upper part of his body on the table. "That girl is so troublesome."

The blonde shook his head in amusement. "You find everything as troublesome. Save for the clouds."

* * *

School ended an hour early unexpectedly, and Naruto used the remaining school time to hang out with his friends to an arcade where they had been spending quality time with each other since they were twelve.

"Hey! Let's play this!" Kiba exclaimed upon seeing a new game where one must follow the character's moves in the screen as it dance.

Naruto, Shikamaru, and Choji who had tagged along went to Kiba's side and they all watched someone danced, following the character in the screen.

"Doesn't he resembled someone?" Shikamaru asked his group without tearing his gaze on the person, who had dark hair that reached past his shoulders tied in a low ponytail and fair skin. The person also wore a collared lavander shirt and black jeans with a matching black converse shoes.

"Hmm..." Kiba rubbed his chin. "Now that you mention it, he does looks like _him_."

At what Shikamaru had said, Naruto had tuned Kiba out and stared at the back of the one who was dancing, mesmerized at how graceful the man seemed to move.

"Isn't he in the Philippines?" Choji pondered, and took a bite of his cheeseroll.

"No. He's in Vietnam." Kiba corrected as he turned to see Choji eating. "Hey! Where'd you buy that!?"

Choji merely jerked his thumb to the back whilst munching on his cheeseroll.

"Oh. Well, we'll have some after the game. Anyways..." Kiba turned to face Shikamaru, whom he tapped on his shoulder. "Where do you think he is now? Philippines or Vietnam?"

"Dunno." Shikamaru shrugged. "What the hell is he doing, travelling the whole globe?"

"He's an Exchange Student, remember?" the brunnette reminded the lazy one. "You know...I have this feeling that it's tiresome to even think of it for you."

"Yeah. It is."

Choji and Kiba could feel a bead of sweat rolled down their foreheads.

The music ended by an electric guitar, and the man that had been dancing stood, panting. He then turned to his right and saw the blonde teen staring at him whose eyes then widen upon seeing his face.

"I-Itachi?"

"Naruto..." slowly, a smile formed in the man's face as he approached the teen. "My, you've grown taller,.haven't you?"

Naruto chuckled whilst scratching the back of his head; embarrassment was clear in his flustered face. "Nah, forget my height. How are you?"

"I'm good."

Noticing the exchange of pleasantries, Shikamaru, Choji, and Kiba all asked, "You know one another?"

"Mm!" the blonde teen nodded enthusiastically.

"I've known Naruto since he was born. His parents and mine are quite close." Itachi informed them.

"Oh, right. Lemme introduce you. Itachi, these are my friends and classmates, Nara Shikamaru, Inuzuka Kiba, and Akimichi Choji." Naruto gestured to his friends simultaneously. "Guys, this is Uchiha Itachi, my friend and my dad's business partner."

"Uchiha?" Kiba tilted his head a little to the side.

"You mean..." Choji trailed off, unable to finish his thoughts.

"There's no doubt. No wonder they look alike."

Knowing what they were thinking, Naruto confirmed it and then asked the man. "Where is he now?"

"He's currently studying in Japan." replied Itachi.

"What!?" the teens chorused; their eyes bulging out in disbelief.

"You mean he's here all along? Why didn't he say anything!?" Naruto demanded Itachi, who only sighed.

"Well, Naruto...my brother is somwhere in Sapporo and we're in Tokyo. Sadly, he has no means of contacting you since he was robbed off og his things upon leaving the last country he had been, and father refused to give him the money he needed to buy new." the man explained.

"Then, how do you contact him?"

"Through his bodyguard, how else?" Itachi then changed the subject. "You playing?"

"Yes. Are you going home now?"

"Hn. If you want you can come and visit me in my hotel room at Senju Hotel where I'm currently staying for the meantime. Here-" the man pulled a card out of his wallet that he had fished out of his pocket. "+call me if you arrived at the hotel, so I can pick you up."

"Thanks." the blonde teen smiled as he took the card and bid his goodvye to Itachi. Turning his attention back to his friends, he ushered them to play in which Shikamaru said he passed and stayed in the sidelines, eating cheeseroll that Kiba suggested for him to have some sort of fun.

* * *

It was almost seven in the evening when Minato joined his son on the couch and watched some news.

"How's work, dad?" asked the younger one.

"Quite hectic today, but fine all in all. How's your school?" the older of tge two asked back.

"It's okay. Oh, and I met Itachi this afternoon at the arcade!"

"Ah, that's right. He came back just last week from a month long business trip. What were you doing at the arcade anyway?"

"We we're out an hour early, because of some emergency meeting between the mentors."

"I see..."

The two blondes feel in silence as they watched and listened to the news while waiting for the red haired woman to be done with preparing the meal for the night.

**"Breaking news! A transgender was found dead in a public cubicle this 3:24 pm. According to the investigator, the cause of death was suffocation as he was choked and drowned in the toilet. The police also look for another angle of the crime which the transgender could also be a victim of hate..."**

The news caster went on, but Naruto's focus changed to his father as Minato began to speak his mind.

"Pity. Why would someone commit murder because of hate, if that's the case?"

"I've no idea, dad. I sympathize the family that is mourning for him...or was it a she...?

"_He._ No matter what he is a guy. If he's the only son, then I pity his parents as he couldn't give them a grandchild. I'm glad you aren't gay, son. I'm still young to be a grandpa, but your mom and I are wishing for it to happen someday. Not now, but when you're old enough to marry the woman you love and build your own family." Minato smiled at his son.

Somehow, Naruto felt hurt. He was not aware why or what had caused it, but he had sensed it was because of what his father had told him. Why though, he had no idea. But, he smiled nonetheless.

"Yeah..." the teen turned his head back to the television. "Someday I'll bring her here and introduce you to her."


End file.
